Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-11-02
ODD SCENES IN SiVAS.

Customs Observed by the Turkish People
When Making Purchases.
Like most Turkish towns, Sivas has
it's covered bazars, but they are not ex-
tensive, and are not particularly
worthy of notice. Most of the mer-
camille business is done on two long
streets, running nearly parallel with
each other. These streets are lined on
both sides with shops. They are mar
row and iH-paved, and, during business
hours, are so crowded with men,
horses, donkeys and cattle that they
are difficult of passage. A little rain
covers the uneven cobblestones with
mud as slippery as ice, making pedes~
trianism any thing but pleasant. There
are no sidewalks. A line of stones
through the center is raised a little
above the level of the street and serve
as stepping stones when the mud is
very bad, which it generally is. The /
stores are merely booths. They boast
neither counters, shelves nor chairs.
The floor is elevated two or three feet
above the street, and there the mer-
chant sits on his heels with his goods
spread around him. The customer
stands in the street. Or. if he be man
of Importance, climbs upon the plat
form and sits with the merchant. Buy
ing any thing of any value is very
elaborate process. It is not to be hur-
ried over, and requires a vast deal OF
bargaining. If the buyeris foreigner
the dealer is very deferential and ment-
ally marks his goods 100 per cent.
higher
When the customer goes into the shop
and sits down, before any thing IS said
about buying, coffee is served. Then
the merchant rolls cigarette and
hands it to his guest. Pipes instead are
sometimes offered, but not often now,
as the cigarette has almost entirely dis
placed the pipe in Asia Minor. After.
the coffee and the smoke, the subject of
purchasing something is gradually ap-
preached. Not abruptly; that would
involve aloss of dignity, but slowly and
circumspectly ly-casually as it were-as
if the buying of any thing was a mere
after-thought not intended in the first
place. The customer has just droppedi
in for friendly call. The merchant is
not merchant, but host entertaining
guest.
This pleasant little fiction is kept up
for half an hour or more, until, by
gradual approaches, the customer indi-
L, L. 4
spent in discussing the quality of the
goods, the customer asks the price in an
of-hand way, as if he were not particu-
larly interested. The merchant replies:
30, whatever your Highness pleases, -
or Il shall be proud if your High
ness will do me the honor of accepting
it as a gift This, of course, is
mere form of Oriental politeness and
means nothing, as both parties under
stand; it is merely a graceful introduc-
ton to the haggling over the price
which is sure to follow, for the Turkish
merchant never has fixed price for
any thing To do so would be to vio-
late all the principles of his mercantile
code. What he sells thing for de-
pends entirely on the customer. When
the buyer insists on having a price
stated the seller will, with engaging
frankness, with a manner of silk and a
forehead of brass, name figure at
least four times what the article is
worth. Then the real business COM
mences. The buyer offers a half or a
fourth of what he expects finally to
give. The ''war of words to cheaper
this or that" is then indefinitely con-
tinued, each gradually yielding point
until they finally agree on figure.
This bargaining, with the loud talk
which accompanies it, is very amusing
to foreigner, un ess ne is personally
interested, when it becomes generally
exasperating. Cor. Boston Herald.
Many husband wlsnes rnaU une
Hac %,,lx